What victory has your church been able to celebrate lately?

One huge victory is Sports Camp, which we run every summer. We had a record number of children—185—from the area attend in 2024. Response from the community was positive. Lots of parents want their children to participate in church activities over the summer. At Sports Camp, kids receive a meal, solid Bible training, and select a sport and train in that sport all week. The theme this year was “None Greater,” where we taught kids about the attributes of God. Non-believing parents come to [a wrap-up] event. They get to hear the gospel as a pastor gets up, explains why we do this, and invites them to church. The whole church helps.

As a member of Emmaus Church, what’s one thing your congregation is praying will happen over the next year?

One thing we really desire is an elder who is older. We are a young church … a church plant. We also have young pastors. It’s wonderful. We are asking the Lord to send us a man who has been in ministry for many years with that wisdom and life experience. 

Based on your experience as a curriculum writer, what’s the connection between one-on-one Bible study and evangelism? 

After I married and moved to Texas … I was teaching a fitness class at an Austin gym and joined a conversation with participants who complained about having to go to church on Easter because they were Catholic. [Eventually] I asked one woman if she would like to start reading the Bible with me. Over the course of the next two years, we met off and on. At the end of the time, she came to faith. Now she is a Bible study leader. Her husband and children are saved. An entire family was transformed simply because God gave me the courage to start reading the Bible with a non-believer. Most people will agree to it if you’ll ask. 

What’s one lesson you’ve learned to this point of your life and ministry you know you’ll never forget? 

The easiest way to share the gospel with another person is through one-on-one Bible study. People need an encounter with the Word. They need to know the real Jesus, not the one they’ve seen depicted in the media. 

How can other SBTC churches be praying for your church?

Pray that we would be mobilized to share the gospel with the lost in Georgetown, where over 60% would check “none” on a questionnaire about religion. Pray that we Christians at Emmaus will have compassion for the lost and find winsome ways to engage people who don’t have Christ on their radar.

What is something you’ve been able to celebrate at The Key Church recently?

Our outreach ministry, Huddle Touch, is going well. Through Huddle Touch we provide pregame meals for area high school football teams. Last year we provided pregame meals for L.D. Bell and Chisholm Trail high schools every game. There are 10 games in a season. We feed them. We pay for the meals. The celebration is last year, we led 31 football players to Christ. Sports is an easy avenue to reach kids for the Lord. We give them what they like so we can introduce them to the One they need.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your ministry lately? 

We are already outgrowing our brand new four-year-old building. Our children’s and nursery spaces are jam-packed. It’s a great challenge to have. 

What’s a lesson you’ve learned to this point of your ministry you know you’ll never forget? 

Prayer and integrity are most important, and if you prioritize those two things, God will bless the rest. So many times we focus on practical things. We need to do that. But we must focus on prayer. Take care of the simple things and He will bless everything else. God has done exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think. We never thought we’d be where we are today.  

What’s one thing you’d like to see God do specifically at your church this year? 

Fill up our second service, which is half full. That’s our 11 o’clock service. The 9 o’clock service is completely full. We have a 600-seat worship center. We’ve had a good crowd through the summer. Once we fill the 11 o’clock, we can start our third service. 

How can other SBTC churches be praying for you?

Pray for God to provide directions and resources to build our new sanctuary. Our current sanctuary is our future gymnasium. When we reach three services, we will really have to start planning on building. There’s nowhere to go. We think, “Here we go again.” It seems so impossible with everything so expensive. Building can be overwhelming, but thank God for growth.

AMARILLO

It would be impossible to quantify the impact San Jacinto Baptist Church, which has been known as The Church at Quail Creek since 2004, has had throughout its 100-year history. 

But as it prepares to celebrate a century of ministry on Sept. 21-22, it’s clear the church—which began through the vision and heart of a Sunday school class that saw a need to reach the lost in Amarillo—has left its mark on the kingdom of God and on Southern Baptists in Texas.

Stan Coffey, who served as the church’s pastor for more than three decades, faithfully led the church to reach the lost not only in Amarillo but around the world. During his years of service, he helped lead the charge to form the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, serving as its first president from 1998 to 2000. 

What is something you’re grateful to God for about your church?

I’m grateful our church engages our community monthly in some type of evangelistic outreach. Over the past seven years, God has empowered us to share the gospel with thousands of people through door-to-door evangelism, apartment block parties, local mission trips, and city partnerships, among various outreaches. Encouragingly, we’ve seen our corporate evangelism lead to personal evangelism in the lives of many of our members. At Lakeland, I’m so thankful our people not only believe in praying missionally and giving missionally, but also living missionally. 

What do you appreciate most about your current ministry team?

God has privileged me to work with a stellar team of men and women who love Jesus supremely and who are very gifted at what they do. They are such a joy to serve with and advance the gospel alongside. One quality I truly appreciate about our staff is that they do not erect barriers or walls around their ministries. Instead, they willingly and joyfully cross over into each other’s ministries to do whatever is needed to help accomplish the greater mission of the church—to make disciples who make disciples.   

What’s one lesson you’ve learned to this point of your ministry you know you’ll never forget? 

When I came to Lakeland 10 years ago, I knew God desired our church to be a praying church, but I really didn’t know what it looked like to lead the church to prioritize prayer. As the late Paul Powell [quoting Oswald Chambers] once said, “Prayer does not fit us for greater works; prayer is the greater work.” Through steps we’ve taken to grow in the ministry of prayer, I’ve learned that when we pray, we experience God’s power, presence, and blessings upon our worship, our ministry, and our missional efforts that we would not experience otherwise. It’s imperative, therefore, that lead pastors devote themselves to the ministry of corporate prayer. 

What’s one thing you’d like to see God do specifically at Lakeland this year?

One of our church’s most impactful ministries is Lakeland Christian Academy, our church’s private Christian school. We’d love to see God connect many of the unchurched families who are a part of our school with our church this year. 

How can other SBTC churches be praying for you?

Pray that God will keep our staff close and clean in our walk that we might finish our races well for Jesus, and pray that God will
keep our church committed to doing whatever it takes to reach
our neighbors and the nations with the gospel. 

What is something you’ve been able to celebrate at Trinity Friendship recently?

Just prior to COVID, we were able to pay off our land and property. We currently own the 2.5 acres and 12,000 square feet on which our church sits. Owning the property frees up debt. We experienced a wilderness journey during the [2016] hailstorm. Having a place to call home sets us up to have a permanent footprint in Wylie for generations to come. City authorities and other pastors tell us Trinity Friendship is the first predominantly African American church in Wylie’s 130-year history.  

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your ministry lately? 

Church planting is a challenge. Many people are raised in [established] churches that have a history. Having to establish a history, identity, ethos, can be challenging, especially in a mobile community. We are predominantly African American, but we also have Hispanic and Caucasian members. We want to establish a diverse identity in the community we serve. We’d like to be able to reach more, and not just African Americans, but all ethnicities who need to serve the Lord. 

What’s a lesson you’ve learned to this point of your ministry you know you’ll never forget? 

To the best of my ability to do things God’s way, and that leadership is vital. Selecting appropriate leadership is important [for] ministry. What God has taught me is it’s not just finding people—it’s finding the right person. You don’t select leaders to grow into a position. The leader must have the preexisting qualities to be in that position.

What’s one thing you’d like to see God do specifically at Trinity Friendship this year?

Trinity Friendship would like to see the economy improve so we can build a family life or children’s area, a kids zone. Construction costs have accelerated since COVID and there’s no end in sight. A kids zone would help us better serve the community. We would also like to start a Hispanic fellowship at Trinity and are praying for that.

How can the other SBTC churches be praying for you?

My request is that SBTC churches would pray not only for me and my family, but also for the people of God, for unity across the nation, and peace throughout the world.